A Little More Sin

by Parish Sherman

  "It's raining too hard out here. I'm going to see my little man then go home," Lay said as she gave Sin the 3500.

  Sin and Marco called June and told him they needed some more dope before he closed up shop for the night. "Just get the whole key from June and I'll give you my half tomorrow," Sin said.

  "Aight. Don't you still got some dope?" he asked.

  "I got like five zippas (ounces) left. You fly me six gees you could get them," Sin said.

  "I'm with that," Marco replied.

  "You gotta go to my mama's house and get it from Kim. My girl tripping. I'm going home," Sin said. He called his little sister and told her where the stuff was and to give it to Marco.

  He ran across the street and got in his Cougar and pulled off knocking UTFO's Roxanne Roxanne.

  When Sin got to his and Malika's Adams Point apartment he parked in the underground garage next to Malika's Maxima. He set his alarm and got out.

  As he walked towards the elevator he had his .45 out. June taught Sin some of the game, but this chick that used to stay on the block named Lottie laced him with all the game. One of the most important things she taught him was to always be aware of his surroundings. He pushed the elevator call button and scanned the garage. When the elevator came he got on and went to the third floor. He got off the elevator and went to number 306. He stuck his key in the door and went in. He walked down the hall and looked in the dining room and saw Malika doing her homework. He went to the bedroom and emptied his jacket and all his pants pockets onto the bed.

  Sin pulled all six shoeboxes out the closet and looked in every one of them. Every box contained ten gees. He counted the money he had dropped on the bed. There was the 2500 that Lay had given him when she got on the block, the 3500 she made on the block, and the 5600 he made himself. Damn, I got 11,600 today, and Marco got 6 more gees for me. He can just keep it and I'll give him another 3500 for my half of the key, Sin thought. He took his new Adidas out of the box and put five gees in it. He put all the boxes back in the closet and then took Marco's 3500 and put it to the side. He put $100.00 on his dresser for pocket money for the next day and 3,000 on Malika's nightstand for her go buy her and the baby some stuff.

  Once Sin did what he did with the money, he sat down and did his homework. As soon as he was done he laid back.

  "Malika, come back here!" he called.

  Malika came to the bedroom door. "What" she said with an attitude.

  "I'm sorry I said that shit to you. I'm just tired of having this same argument with you everyday. Me and Lay been friends for ten years. She messes with Sha anyway, and even if she didn't, I don't want Lay, I want you, baby," he said.

  "Well you don't act like it, Sin," she stated.

  "What do you mean? Everybody I fuck with is calling me a sucka. I spent $16,000.00 on your car, 2,500 on your school clothes, and 5,000 on your watch, chain, ring, earrings, and bracelet. And I don't love you?" he asked with a frown on his face.

  "Sin, I told you before. The money don't mean nothing to me. You don't spend no time with me. As soon as Marco, Hashi, Scatter, Hasahn, Tariq, or June calls you leave."

  "Baby, come here" he said. Malika laid next to him. "If I don't hustle, how's the rent going to get paid? How are we suppose to eat? If me and you both had jobs we wouldn't make enough to pay the rent."

  "Sin, you missing the point."

  "Aight, I'll quit the game. Tomorrow we can go find some jobs."

  "No you won't," Malika said not believing him.

  "For you I would."

  Malika knew that Sin would do anything for her, and if he said he'd quit for her then he would. "Nah, you don't have to quit yet, but I want you to start spending more time with me."

  "You done with your homework?" he asked.

  "Yeah. I was done when you got here."

  Sin and Malika laid back both thinking of how good they had it. Then the phone rang.

  "Hello?" he answered.

  "Sin, I got Rhonda and her cousin, Danielle over here on the block. Danni is bad than a muthafucka!" Corey said.

  "Aww, nigga, if it's that much money I'm on my way!" Sin said to throw Malika off.

  Malika looked at Sin like he was out of his mind. "So you just going to leave after we just finished talking about this same shit?" she asked.

  "I'm going to take care of some business real quick," he said.

  "Baby, please don't go. I just want you stay home with me."

  "Baby, I'm only going to be gone for a minute, I promise." Sin said.

  Malika had a funny feeling in her stomach. Something was going to happen, and she felt it. She started crying as she got off of the bed. "I'm leaving then," she said as she went to the closet and got her suitcase.

  "Where you going?" Sin asked as he put his shoes on.

  "Back to my mother's."

  "Whatever, man!," he said as he grabbed his black leather bomber with the fur around the hood. Malika fell to the floor crying, and Sin felt bad.

  "Get up," he said.

  Sin picked Malika up and laid her on the bed. He then went and ran them a bubble bath. He led Malika to the bathroom and they stripped and got in the tub. When they got out they put lotion on then went to the kitchen and ate. After they finished they put the dishes in the dishwasher and went and got in the bed.

  "Where your cousin at, C.B.?" Danielle asked Corey.

  "That nigga probably got caught up," he said as he passed Rhonda the weed.

  "Baby, I want to go to Great America on Halloween. You going to take me?" Rhonda asked.

  "If that's what you want to do," he answered.

  A car turned the corner. Corey looked in his rear view mirror and saw the head lights and figured it was Sin in his Chev. "Here that nigga come now," he said.

  When the car pulled up on the side of him, Corey looked and saw it wasn't Sin, but it was too late. Guns started blazing from the front and back passenger side windows. Corey reached for his gun as the girls ducked. Just as he was pulling the 9mm up, an AK round hit him in the back and a .38 slug hit him in the neck. The driver of the car hit the gas.

  Vickie, a fiend on the block, and her husband, James came out.

  Rhonda sat up and looked at Corey, who was slumped over. "Corey!" she called out. When she shook him and felt blood on her hands she screamed.

  Malika was laying in Sin's arms asleep when the phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.

  "Malika, is Sin there? It's an emergency!" Lay cried. Malika thought about hanging the phone up, but didn't because of how Lay sounded.

  "Baby, wake up. Sin wake up, telephone," she said as she shook him.

  Sin woke up and took the phone. "What?" he answered.

  "Sin, Corey got shot!" Lay cried.

  "What!" Sin yelled and sat up.

  "He's at Highland Hospital and they don't think he's going to make it."

  "I'm on my way!" he said and hung up.

  "Baby, what happened?" Malika asked.

  "Corey got shot," he said as he got up.

  "I'm going with you," she said.

  Sin put on his blue wind breaker Adidas sweat pants, a blue T-shirt, his blue and white striped suede Adidas shoes, and the blue bubble puff coat.

  Malika put on a white Fila sweatsuit, all white Fila shoes, and an orange Fila puff coat.

  Sin grabbed his gun and his keys and they left. When they got to the garage Sin used his keys to get into Malika's Maxima and they pulled out quickly.

  Since they only lived ten minutes from Highland, Sin got there in five. As soon as he pulled up at the hospital, he jumped out, leaving Malika to park. When he got off the elevator in ICU, Sin saw everyone crying, and a few people trying to console Corey's mother.

  June came up to Sin with a tear in his eye. "He's gone, bro!" he said.

  Sin backed away from him. "Nah, nigga, he ain't gone! Fuck that, June Bug! I'm killing all them niggas!" Sin cried. Corey, Marco, Sin, and Lay were all like family.

  Sin walked over to Corey's mama, Denise and
hugged her. "Mama Niecey, I swear who ever did this to Corey is going to catch it!" Sin said.

  "Sin, please let the police handle it. I don't want to lose you guys too," she said.

  Sin and Marco pulled Rhonda to the side to find out what happened.

  "We was on Bromly waiting for you to come. A Chev turned the corner coming from Seminary and Corey thought it was you. When they pulled up on us we saw it was that nigga Rich that be on 5th Ave. Corey, Hasahn, and Tariq stomped him out at the movies last weekend. I saw that nigga with my own eyes, Sin," she informed him.

  "Let’s go get these niggas," Marco said.

  Sin made eye contact with Hasahn and Tariq, and nodded to the elevator. They all made their way to the elevator. As it opened, Malika was standing there, and when she saw Sin's face she knew Corey was dead.

  June turned looking for Sin and saw him as the elevator doors were closing. "Sin, no!" he yelled.

  They all got off of the elevator and walked out of the hospital.

  "Where did you park at?" Sin asked Malika.

  "Across the street."

  Just then Shaqui pulled up in his hooptie LTD. He got out of the car and saw that everyone had tears in their eyes. He started crying too. Corey was his boy. He was the only one that didn't treat Sha as if he was a kid.

  Sin walked Malika over to a cab. "Give me my keys," he said to her.

  "Sin, please don't go do nothing," she begged as she handed him his keys.

  "Take her to 330 Adams Point," Sin said to the cabby and threw $20.00 into the cab. He looked at his little cousin. "Sha, go home," he said.

  "Nigga, I'm riding! Corey was my folks too," he said. Sin didn't have time to argue with him, because June and his right-hand man, Kiaree came running out.

  "Ya'll know where to meet me," Sin said and ran to Malika's car. He got in and pulled off. He was the first to pull up at Lay's house. Raindrops were hitting the Maxima hard as he sat there thinking.

  Sin had never killed anyone, but he had shot quite a few. He knew that tonight he was going to get blood on his hands. Lay pulled up, followed by Hasahn, Marco, Tariq, and Shaqui. They went to Lay's back yard and got the choppas (assault rifles) they had stashed there.

  As they were leaving, June pulled up in a '74 four door Delta Eighty-Eight. He and Kiaree got out. "I knew ya'll was over here," June said as he popped his trunk and pulled an M-16 out. Kiaree grabbed the AK-47.

  "Sha, you ain't going," June said to their little cousin.

  "Nigga, you crazy. I'm going!" Sha said as he pulled an Uzi out of his car.

  "Fuck it! When shit get hot don't start crying," June told him.

  "Big cousin, you got me fucked up! I ain't scared of shit!" Shaqui said.

  "Tariq, you and Hasahn ride with us," June said.

  Marco, Sin and Lay got in Sha's car. They all took off.

  "When we get there, let Lay drive," Sin said.

  They drove passed 5th Avenue and Foothill and saw about ten niggas outside the corner store. They drove around the block and parked. Everyone got out of the cars.

  "This how we gon' do it: Kiaree's going to drive me and Hasahn around the corner. When we start getting at them niggas, they'll start running this way. Ya'll get off on them when they get here. That way we got them in a cross fire," June said.

  "Lay, follow June," Sin said.

  Lay pulled off behind Kiaree. Sin cocked the Mac-10 and went to the corner of the building they were on the side of, and peeked around the corner. He saw the niggas in front of the store posted up talking. He looked down the street and saw June Bug turn the corner. He looked at Tariq, Sha, and Marco and nodded.

  June leaned out the window and started letting off with the M-16. Hasahn let loose with the pistol grip shotgun. Just like June said, the guys ran towards the corner. Sin, Sha, Marco, and Tariq stepped out and lit them up.

  Sin saw the dude, Rich running to a Chev that was parked across the street. Sin ran after him. When he got to the car, he raised the Mack-10. Rich looked at him and knew it was over. When Sin pulled the trigger, the gun jammed. Rich tried to reach under the seat for his gun. Sin swung the Mack and busted the driver side window. Rich ducked and got his hand on his gun, but when he looked up, Sin was coming up with his .45. The last thing Rich saw was a flash. Sin's first bullet went into Rich's eye and exploded out the back of his head. His next bullet hit him in the throat. The rest of the clip Sin dumped into Rich was a waste of ammo.

  Sin looked across the street and saw Shaqui shoot a cat running for the store. Shaqui then ran up on him and emptied the rest of the clip into the dude. Lay skidded up and Sin and Sha both jumped into the car. Lay did 80 down 5th Avenue.

  When Lay crossed East 18th, the police got on them. Tariq took Shaqui's Uzi and leaned out the window and sprayed the squad car. The police car went out of control and jumped the curb and went through someone's fence and straight into their living room.

  "Go to that Shell on Broadway Terrace," Sin said. Lay did, and Sin filled a gas can up with gasoline and called a cab. He drove Shaqui's bucket up two blocks and doused it with the gasoline and threw a lit match in it.

  When the cab came, they had the driver drop them off on 65th and Bancroft, where they walked the block to Havenscourt where Lay lived.

  Whey they got there, Sin wiped the Mack-10 and the .45 off and gave them to Marco. "Get rid of that shit," Sin told Marco. He and Sha got in the Maxima and went to North Oakland. Sin's Aunt Barbara lived in some Housing Authority apartments on 46th Street.

  "Don't mention this shit to nobody, cuz!" Sin warned.

  "Come on, blood. You act like I'm stupid. Come through after school. I need to re-up," Sha said.

  Three Weeks Later

  Sin and Marco were at McDonald's on 68th sitting on June's Benz which Sin was driving that night. They were getting at some top-notch broads when Lay and Angelique pulled up in Hashi's green Chev. They got out of the car and walked over. "Why ya'll always talking to these rat head bitches?" Lay asked.

  "Bitch, who you calling a rat head?" the girl Sin was talking to asked.

  "You the only rat head I see, bitch!" Lay answered.

  "Well if you see a rat head, beat a rat head," the girl said.

  Just as Lay was about to hit the girl, five OPD cars pulled into the parking lot. Sin hid his gun in the console of the Benz and rolled up the windows up and locked the doors. Marco slid over to his Mustang and locked it up.

  "Hey you! Come here!" one of the cops said.

  "What, man?" Marco asked.

  "That your car?" the cop asked.

  "No, sir. I ain't never seen that car in my life."

  "Okay, Mr. Smart Ass. Get against the car," the cop ordered. He searched Marco and found three gees. He stuck that in his pocket and handed Marco off to another cop who put him in a police car. The cop looked in Marco's convertible '66 Mustang and found a gun.

  From inside the McDonald's door, Sin saw that the gun was the nickel-plated .45 he used to kill Rich with. Sin almost had a heart attack right then. This nigga didn't get rid of the gun! Fuck, fuck, fuck! he thought.

  Once the cops hauled Marco off, Sin hot-wired the Mustang and had Lay take it to Marco's mama's house. He stayed at Marco's house until he called three hours later.

  "Man, what was you thinking about?" Sin asked.

  "Don't trip, bro. I'm going to ride this one out. I need you to look out for my mom. Look out for Tara too. She's about to have my son. You know where my scratch (money) at. Put it on a lawyer for me."

  "I got you," Sin said.

  On May 20th, 1986, Marco pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced to juvenile life, which meant he would be in Youth Authority until he was twenty-five unless he caught some more time. He did, for shanking three white boys when he was nineteen. The judge gave him another five years, and committed him to State Prison.

  Marco was a straight rider in the pen. The OG's from different gangs tried to recruit him, but Marco wasn't for it. He stayed solo and didn't fuck w
ith anyone who was affiliated with a gang. To him the weak joined prison gangs for protection. He had heard that a lot of weak dudes were getting up under the Mad Circle too. He would be out in June 2000, and every fake-ass nigga in The Circle was going to get dealt with. His inner circle was the only ones to look out for him and his family. Sin, Shaqui, Tariq, Hashi, Scatter, Hasahn, Amir, and June Bug kept it real.

  Tariq, Scatter, and Sin all put up money to buy Marco's mother a house down the street from Tariq's in Lafayette. Sin gave Marco's mother money every other month in the sum of $10,000.00. Shaqui made sure Tara and Marco's son, Marco Jr. were straight. Even though Tara was stripping at a club in Pleasanton when Sin asked her not to, they still looked out.

  Present

  "Michaels, step out!" the 2nd tier C.O yelled.

  Sin stepped out of the cell when the door opened and saw Marco coming down the tier with another bag. "How did you know I was coming today?" Sin asked.

  "Somebody called Shaunté, and she called Déja. Déja told me when I called her this morning," Marco replied. He and Sin hugged and held each other for a minute.

  "Blood, I missed you," Marco said.

  "I missed you too. Damn, nigga, what you doing, hitting everything on the weight pile?" Sin asked.

  "Shit, I was way bigger than this. They took the weights. Now all I do is pull ups and dips."

  "That's what I do in the streets, bro. Pull up on suckas and dip on marks," Sin said.

  "Nigga, I heard you out there killing them in the streets. They're like, when the droughts come, you and The Circle are the only ones out there with dope."

  "Maniac, I'm going to keep it all the way clean with you. I'm in with some muthafuckas that got everything. I got damn near all of Northern Cali sold up. Nigga, the money I got put up for you is close to a mill ticket. You don't need no loot do you?"

  "Man, come on. I got like damn near twenty gees on my books. I get out in June. I won't even be able to spend all that. Plus the money you, Scatter, and Tariq gave my mother for me. What's up with Scatter, man? He aight in the Feds?'' Marco asked.